Industry faces tough new HFC phase down
30th March 2023
EUROPE: The HVACR industry faces a tough new HFC phase down timetable and earlier product bans in new F-gas regulation revision proposals voted through by MEPs today.
With one or two exceptions, this morning’s European parliamentary vote saw the ENVI committee proposals led by rapporteur Bas Eickhout largely adopted by MEPs. The majority of the late amendments tabled by Central and Eastern European member states and backed by an alliance of 14 leading European and global industry associations, were struck down.
A small amount of breathing space was gained, however, in respect of product bans and a proposal that would have seen bans on spare parts for those products was overturned by a subsequent amendment.
Industry efforts to ease the proposed phase down timetable were unsuccessful. The ENVI committee proposals adopted in today’s vote do allow for a slightly larger quota during the period 2027-2029 than the original European Commission proposals, but require a much steeper quota reduction in latter years, ending with complete phase out in 2050.
Stationary split air conditioning and split heat pump equipment containing HFC/HFOs have gained a stay of execution until 1 January 2028 but the expiration date for plug-in room, monobloc and other self-contained air conditioning and heat pump equipment using these fluorinated gases remains at 1 January 2026.
The European Parliament also voted to include bans on the use of F-gases in other sectors, such as chillers, foams, transport refrigeration and technical aerosols. It further adopted measures to address illegal HFC trade, require mandatory producer extended responsibility and raise the quota price to €5, with periodic increases over time to match the phase-down steps.
The revision proposals will now be referred back to the environment committee, and then the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union must agree on a final text together before the review of the F-Gas Regulation is adopted.
More details and comment to follow.
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